Michael hardy



lUNITEI) STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MICHAEL HARDY, OF NE7 YORK, N. Y.

MACHINERY FOR FORMING HAT-BODIES,

Specification of Letters Patent No. 22,288, dated December 14, 1858.

To all whom fit may concern:

Be it known that I, MICHAEL HARDY, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machinery for Forming Hat- Bodies; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying' drawings, making partof this specification, in which- Figure l, is a plan of the machine; Fig. 2, a side elevation; Fig. 3, a` longitudinal vertical section; and Fig. t, a cross section taken at the lineA, a of Fig. l.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

My said invention relates to improve- 'ments on machinery for forming bats for hat bodies on a pervious cone and for removing them from the cone preparatory to the process of hardening. And my said invention consists in making the picker 0r brush by which the fur is taken and thrown toward the pervious cone of a conical form with the view of supplying more fur onto the base than the tip of the cone, and in combining with such conical picker or brush a feeding 'apron formed in the form of a segment of a cone and causing it to pass around two conical rollers, or the equivalent thereof, that fur may be supplied to every part of the length of the conical picker or brush, in proportion to the diameter. And my said invention also consists in combining with the conical picker or brush a series of rollers forming a concave to direct the discharge of the fur from the picker or brush toward the perforated cone. And that part of my said invention which relates to the method of removing the bat of fur fibers from the perforated cone on which it is formed, consists in combining with the cone on which t-he bat is foi-med another pervious cone to t over the bat after it has been formed, 'and a cylindrical or otherwise properly formed casing or tube connected with the exhaust, the said tube being adapted to receive the outer cone with the inner cone and interposed bat, and with the tip toward the exhausting apparatus, so that the current of air passing into the inside of the inner cone and through its perforations shall force the bat of fur fibers from the out-er surface of the inner cone on which it was formed to the inner surface of the outer cone and there hold it by the pressure of the surrounding air while the inner cone is removed, and a paper or equivalent inlaycr is put inside, that the bat may then be taken out and hardened on the said inlayer.

In the accompanying drawings (a) represents a metallic perforated cone, such as is usually1 employed in forming bats for hat bodies, the rim (b) of which is made to lit onto the ring (c) of a wheel (cl) so that it can be put on and taken off' at pleasure. The wheel (d) is a mere ring with arms, and is mounted and turns 0n a stud pin (e) and is formed on its periphery so as to be driven by a bandV or belt (f) from the main shaft to turn the cone with a slow motion to present in succession every part of its circumference to the current of impelled fur from the picking or disintegrating apparatus. The inner face of the rim of this wheel runs in contact with the face of a ring (g) on the face of a box (7L) and surrounding an aperture leading to the inside of the box, and corresponding with the inner periphery of the wheel, there being a bridge (i) to hold the stud pin on which the wheel turns.

There is no bottom to the box (it) and its lower edge rests on the top of another box (j) and is connected therewith by a cross bar (le) and central pin on which it can be turned to shift, if desired, the position of the axis of the cone relatively to the picking apparatus; and for this purpose the box (l1-v) carries an arm (l) with a sect-or slot near the outer end through which slot a thumb screw passes to secure the said box (71,) in any desired position. The box (j) has a hole in the top leading in the usual manner to the eye of an exhausting fan (m) on a shaft (a) driven by a band (o) from a wheel on the main shaft, and by these or equivalent means, the inside of the cone is to be exhausted for the purpose of aiding in forming the bat of fur on the outer surface, and in causing itto be there held by the pressure of the surrounding air. The face of the box may be slightly inclined from the vertical that the cone may stand with its axis slightly inclined to the axis of the picker.

The picking apparatus is mounted on a separate frame (y) on the floor of platform (r) and consists of a rotating picker or brush (s) of a conical form with the larger diameter opposite the base of the perforated II l i:

cone (a). This picker is rotated at a high veloci-ty, in the direction of the arrow by the belt (t) from a wheel (u) on the main shaft.

The stock of fur is to be laid in suitable quantity 011 the feed apron (o) and by it regularly carried forward to be presented to the picker, but as more fur is required at the base of the cone than at and toward the tip, to form the bat of the required thickness, that side of the apron which supplies the larger end of the picker is made to travel faster than the other side; and to accomplish this the apron is so formed that if it were developed in a circle it would be a segment of a cone. The apron, so formed, passes around two conical rollers (w) and mounted in the frame, one of which is a mere guide roller to keep the apron distended, while the other (fw) is a driving roller to move the apron, and for this purpose carries a pinion (y) on one end of its shaft, the said pinion engaging another pinion that receives motion in manner to be presently described. Above the roller (fw) and apron there is another conical roller (a), and this receives motion from the pinion (y) by a spur wheel (b) in the manner represented. This roller is free to move up and down on its journal boxes, and rests, by its weight, on the fur which is placed on the apron, and there grips it as it is brought forward by the apron. In this way the fur is presented to the bight of a pair of conical feed rollers (c (Z) which grip and present it to the pic-ker that it may be disintegrated. The roller (0) is one of a series of conical rollers (e) arranged in a segment of a cir cle above the picker and turning in the di rection of the arrows, and the roller ((Z) is one of another series of like rollers (f) arranged in a segment of a circle below the picker, an open space (g) being left between the two series of rollers in front of the picker, and between the picker and perforated cone, through which space the fur is thrown by the picker toward the cone. The roller (of) is driven by a band (/i) from a pulley on the main shaft, and in turn communicates motion to all the rollers of the two series and to the feed apron in the 1nanner represented.

From the above it will be seen that by reason of the conical form of the parts that side of the apron and picking apparatus which is in line with the base of the perforated cone will move at a greater velocity than the other side which is opposite the tip of the cone, and that in consequence a larger quantity of fur will be supplied, picked and thrown to, and against the base of the pervious cone than toward the tip, and that in consequence of this and by a variation of the proportions the bat of fur bers can be made of any varying thickness desired.

After the bat has been formed of the required thickness on the cone, another pervious cone (u) of slightly greater diameter, is put over the bat to hold it onto the inner cone while the two cones, with the interposed bat, are removed and inserted, tip foremost, into a tube (Z) the inner diameter and lengt-h of which are to be adapted to the purpose with the turned or curved rim of the cone fittingl the edge of said tube. This tube is attached to, and projects from the opposite face of the box (it) and surrounds a hole (mf) leading to the exhaust fan, which, when Vin action, induces a current of air into the inside of the inner cone (c) and through its perforations, to force the bat of fur fibers from the outer surface of the inner cone, to and against the inner surface of the outer cone ('J) and there to hold it while the inner cone is takenout, and an inlayer, as itis termed, of paper or equivalent material is substituted. After the inlayer has been inserted the outer cone may be taken out of the tube, and the bat of fur fibers being then relieved of the pressure of the air will drop from the inner surface of the said outer cone, and may be then taken out to be hardened by the usual hand process, or by any suitable means.

lVhat I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. Combining with a. pervious cone, connected with an exhausting apparatus, a picker or brush of a conical form, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

Q. I also claim in combination with theV pervious cone and conical picker or brush, the apron formed arnl mounted substantially as described, for supplying fur to the several parts of the length of the picker in proportion to the diameter, as set forth.

3. I also claim in combination with the pervious cone and conical picker or brush, substantially as described, the employment of a series of rollers forming a concave, substantially as described, to direct the fur towards the cone, as described.

4. And I also claim in combination with the two cones, the one on which the bat is formed, and the other fitting over thel bat, the tube connected with the exhausting fan, and adapted to receive and hold the outer cone, substantially as described, to effect the transfer of the bat of fur fiber from the inner to the outer cone. as set forth.

MICHAEL HAR-DY.

IVitnesses IVM. I-I. BISHOP, ANDREW DE LAZ. 

